Verisimilitude
by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring
Summary: Janeway runs various holodeck programs in an effort to learn how to win Chakotay from Seven. She doesn't care for the results. A 'Die JC Die' winner.


This story won Third Place (Het) in "Die J/C Die" Phase II, which ought to tell you something about the way it's likely to go....

Verisimilitude  
by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring  
  
verisimilitude: n. appearance of being true. (verisimilar, a.)  
-- Tiscali Reference: Dictionary of Difficult Words  
  
Admiral Kathryn Janeway sat on one of the little stone benches in the center of the Academy's rose garden. From the bench opposite, a man regarded her with aching sincerity.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kathryn," Chakotay said earnestly, his soft brown eyes shining. "I know I promised to wait for you. You can't imagine how guilty I feel, betraying your trust for something that means as little to me as my affair with Seven. Please." He leaned forward, lips trembling as he took Janeway's hands in his. "Give me a chance to make it up to you. You know it's you I've always loved."  
  
Janeway looked at him for a moment, feeling strangely uncertain. Her aristocratic brow wrinkled and she called out, "Computer, freeze program!"  
  
Chakotay sat motionless, full lips slightly parted, pleading expression frozen on his face. Extricating her hands from his unmoving ones, Janeway rose and began to pace on the simulated path. "Dammit," she said, "that just doesn't sound right. That doesn't sound like the way he'd say it at all." She paced a little longer, considering. "Computer," she said suddenly, "do you have a current psychological profile for Commander Chakotay?"  
  
"Commander Chakotay's most recent psychological profile was compiled twenty-seven days ago on starship Voyager, and received by Starfleet Command ten days ago in general records transfer."  
  
"Excellent. Computer, reprogram holographic figure 'Chakotay' to include the information contained in his psychological profile." She rubbed her hands together briskly. "Now, let's take this from the top. Computer, restart program on my mark." She stepped quickly to the bench and took her place opposite Chakotay, her heart thrilling with anticipation. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier! Now she could get an authentic-sounding apology from her wayward XO. And later, she could use the upgraded holoimage to help her figure out how to win him back from that treacherous ex-protégéé of hers.  
  
Perfect!  
  
"Now," she said, and her first officer's face once more came alive. This time, however, a curious curve twisted the full lips, and his brown eyes had no hint of moisture to them.  
  
"You want an apology from me?" he said, low, tense. "You want an apology. Well, all right, then." He thrust himself to his feet, snapping off a few quick steps before he turned and looked back at her. The spark in his eyes had intensified -- into a glare? "I'm sorry, Kathryn. I'm sorry I don't have the kind of superhuman patience that it takes to wait for you to make up your mind to declare yourself. I'm sorry that just because you never said a word of love to me in seven years, I foolishly jumped to the conclusion that you might, just possibly, not love me." The sarcasm was soft but unmistakable. "And I'm oh-so-very-sorry that having jumped to that conclusion, I was actually interested when a beautiful, vibrant, intelligent woman asked me for a date. And I'm sorry that--"  
  
"Computer, freeze program!" Janeway snapped. Chakotay stopped in mid-pace, one foot frozen an inch above the floor.  
  
That wasn't what she'd had in mind at all.  
  
Not a setback, though, or at least Kathryn didn't think so. Of course Chakotay would have far too much pride to simply come to her out of the blue and seek forgiveness for his foolish little liaison. But once he realized that the situation between the two of them really could be changed, and that Kathryn was ready to make the change, well then, things would be very different!  
  
"Arch," she called, and programmed a new scenario. "Display." The setting winked into existence around her.  
  
The location for this scenario was her suite at Starfleet headquarters. The lights were soft and the table was set for dinner, with the vegetable biryani he liked sitting ready to be served, and a bottle of wine chilling in a silver bucket. Candles in pewter candelabrum, and a soft scent of jasmine in the air, added to the ambiance. As per the captain's request, the computer had garbed her in a style that matched the setting: a long, flowing black gown with delicate shoulder straps, vee-neck, and high waist.  
  
At her command, the arch disappeared and the new program commenced. When the door chime sounded, Kathryn's heart beat faster with anticipation. "Come," she called softly.  
  
He entered briskly enough, but when he was no more than a couple of steps in he stopped where he stood, surveying the situation. "Very nice," he said quietly, his expression unreadable.  
  
"Chakotay," she began, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you." And Kathryn paused for a moment to collect herself, for even though this was only his hologram, the words had been so long unspoken they were difficult to formulate.  
  
Then his eyes met hers, and her thoughts fled at the look she saw in them: a hint of anger, coupled with a vast weariness. "What do you want this time, Kathryn?"  
  
In her surprise, the only words that would come out of the captain's mouth were, "What do you mean, what do I want?"  
  
He snorted, the anger in his eyes becoming more apparent. "Come on, Kathryn. You've played this game with me before, seducing me over to your side. The last time you went to this much trouble, you wanted to make me back off from my objections to the quantum slipstream drive so I wouldn't keep you from trying to use it to get us back to Alpha. You got what you wanted then, didn't you? I backed off. We made the test." His voice never rose, but his enunciation was crisp and precise, the edges of the words all but bitten off. "And if we hadn't been damned lucky, our crew would have died because I backed off then. So this time, just tell me what you want and spare me the song-and-dance, please. Does Starfleet Command need something else from me?"  
  
"Chakotay, I'm not playing a game!" she flared, stung at the truth in his accusation. "You idiot! I'm trying to tell you that I love you!"  
  
He looked at her in simple disbelief. "Very funny, Kathryn."  
  
"Computer, freeze program!" And once again the holodeck complied, this time catching Chakotay in the very act of turning away.  
  
Controlling her anger, she walked around the hologram then, peering up at the blank brown eyes as if by so doing she could see into the soul of their real-life owner. But the holographic eyes had no light or thought behind them, and she soon gave up the attempt. She looked away, considering.  
  
Okay, so a direct confrontation wouldn't do the trick. Once burned, forever cynical, it seemed. But perhaps if he were to learn about her feelings from someone he trusted?  
  
She could think of one obvious candidate for the task: Chakotay's best friend, B'Elanna Torres. Calling for the arch, Janeway tapped in another series of commands.  
  
"Query," said the computer. "Do you wish to incorporate B'Elanna Torres's most recent psychological profile into the desired scenario?"  
  
"Of course," Janeway said impatiently. She had to make this as real as possible if it were to give her any real clues as to how to regain her erstwhile love.  
  
"Incorporating profile," the computer answered neutrally.  
  
The arch once again vanished as Janeway activated her latest program. The setting this time was still her quarters, but the table was bare of food and the lights were most decidedly up. The admiral's garments had changed as well, into a short-sleeved white blouse tucked into the waistband of trim, fitted slacks. Torres, dressed in similar style, was seated on one of the low, soft chairs, but she quickly pushed herself to her feet, as if uncomfortable there. "Admiral, I'm not sure what you want me here for."  
  
Janeway knew that only directness would work with B'Elanna Torres. "I want you to plead my case for me, B'Elanna." She stepped closer, hoping the other woman would read the sincerity in her eyes. "I want you to tell Chakotay I love him."  
  
Torres's eyes widened. "Captain? Ah, I mean, Admiral?"  
  
"Tell him I love him, B'Elanna." She took B'Elanna's forearms in her hands, holding the other woman in place before her. "Tell him I understand he might have been willing to settle for someone else when we couldn't get together, but now things have changed. I know he'd believe it if he heard it from you, B'Elanna." Torres looked uneasy, and Janeway wondered if she, like Chakotay, entertained doubts of her former commander's sincerity. "What can I say to convince you?"  
  
Torres's face contorted into a scowl, and she yanked free of Janeway's grip. "Nothing," she snarled. "There's nothing you can say to convince me. When I think of all the years he waited for you, all the time he wasted--" She uttered something harsh and Klingon. "I may not love Seven, but you -- do you even have any idea how much you hurt him? And now that he's finally got something good going for him, something that makes him happy, you want me to help you break it up? I don't think so." Before the astonished admiral could say a word, her enraged former engineer stalked from the room, nearly barreling through the door before it had an opportunity to open.  
  
Staring at Torres's wake, Janeway was silent for a few moments before she blew out a breath. "What was that about?" After all these years, did Torres really think so little of her? What the hell?  
  
Clearly Kathryn would be better off getting help from another source. Once again calling up the arch, she input her new request.  
  
"Do you wish to incorporate Q's most recent psychological profile into the desired scenario?" the computer intoned.  
  
The question surprised Janeway even more than holo-Torres's behavior. "We have a psychological profile on Q?"  
  
"Profile compiled based on all known encounters of Starfleet personnel with the designated being," the disembodied voice informed her primly.  
  
"Oh." She gestured impatiently. "Fine then. Incorporate it and run program."  
  
She hadn't bothered changing the physical setting; if she ever saw Q again, it was just as likely to be in her quarters as anywhere else. Q popped in with his usual brilliant burst of light, clad in an admiral's uniform that matched her own.  
  
Before she could say a word, he waggled a finger at her. "Now really, Kathy. Calling me in to help you manage something as trivial as a human relationship? Honestly, you mortals have no sense of proportion." With a flick of his wrist and another flare of white light, he was gone.  
  
Oh, this was really too much. Starfleet's newest admiral did not take well to being dissed and dismissed this way. Bad enough Chakotay was mistrustful -- bad enough Torres was as temperamental as ever -- but to have to put up with yet more disrespect from Q? To win back a man who had been hers all along? She wouldn't have to deal with this sort of crap even on a holodeck, much less in real life, if it hadn't been for a certain "tertiary adjunct" getting ideas. Ungrateful chit. Janeway had given Seven back her humanity, given her a home and a goal and a place in society, and this was how the ex-Borg repaid her?  
  
Fuck the rest of it. Kathryn was going to call the interloper to account. And then....  
  
Calling up the arch, she began inputting again, quickly and furiously.  
  
The computer inquired, "Do you wish to incorporate Seven of Nine's most recent psychological profile into the desired scenario?"  
  
Janeway glowered. "Yes."  
  
The room around her metamorphosed into a bleak darkness, split by a single shaft of light. The stark glare revealed a tall, blonde woman, wrapped in the translucent glow of a force field. Kathryn's own garb had mutated into top-to-toe black, from knee-high boots to a leotard that hugged as close as any of Seven's catsuits, to dark leather gloves.  
  
Hands on hips, she leaned forward, glaring at the trapped Borg. "How dare you! After everything I gave you, everything I made you, how dare you strut in and take my man?"  
  
"The commander is not your property." Seven's posture was regal, her eyes ice.  
  
The cold response only served to further infuriate her interrogator. "He belonged to me, damn you! All these years, we had an understanding."  
  
"An understanding the commander seemed not to share." Her entrapment apparently had done nothing to disconcert Seven; she stood at her full, formidable height, meeting Kathryn's glare without noticeable agitation or effort.  
  
"He shared it just fine until you threw yourself at him." She stalked around the cylindrical force field, a huntress circling her prey.  
  
"You are incorrect in several respects." For all the emotion in her voice, Seven might have been lecturing Voyager's Borg children on various aspects of astrometrics. "The commander was quite discontented with what he considered to be his 'lack of relationship' with you. He made no formal statement of his discontent simply because he believed himself to be without other viable options. Once he realized that he did, indeed, have other options available, and determined that he found one of those options to be attractive, he moved quickly to secure it."  
  
Kathryn stopped when she stood before Seven, fastening her most powerful "death glare" on the pale, metal-adorned face. "You mean, he moved on when you stole him."  
  
"He was your officer, not your property." Seven remained visibly unmoved. "Or are you the Borg Queen, to claim ownership as well as service?"  
  
Oh, that was too much. Kathryn snapped, "Computer, transform to alternate scenario on my mark! Now!"  
  
With that, the holodeck contorted itself from a dark place to a dank one, filled with instruments as bizarre as they were arcane. In the midst of the perverted playroom, Seven of Nine was suspended from the ceiling, long arms over her head and ropes securing her legs to clamps on the floor. Around her, within easy sight, lay half-a-dozen instruments of pain and discipline.  
  
"I'm going to punish you if it's the last thing I ever do." Kathryn picked up a heavy paddle then, and advanced on Seven, debating whether she should aim for the obvious target or go for a location that would bring greater pain. Further enraged by her quarry's defiant glare, she lifted the paddle high --  
  
And a voice roared, "Stop! Let her go!"  
  
Kathryn turned and saw Chakotay in the glare of an open doorway, his broad shoulders backlit by the light of an illusory corridor. "Have you lost your mind! I said, let her go!"  
  
As the admiral stood staring, in shock, he stalked up and snatched the paddle from her hand, hurling it across the room. Then he moved to Seven, yanking loose the knots that bound her hands and feet before wrapping one arm around her and gathering her to his side.  
  
His eyes blazed fury at Kathryn. "Damn you. I knew you were jealous, but I never believed you would do anything like this! Well, no more. Once the Admiralty hears how you were abusing a Federation citizen, they'll--"  
  
"Computer!" Kathryn cried wildly, "end simulation!"  
  
Chamber, Seven, and Chakotay all vanished at once, leaving Admiral Kathryn Janeway alone and panting in an empty box of black-and-yellow grids.  
  
Of course. Of course a realistic Chakotay wouldn't let anyone take his lover off anywhere and harm her.  
  
His lover.  
  
A realistic Chakotay considered Seven his love.  
  
A realistic Torres said he was happy with Seven.  
  
A realistic Q -- well, never mind that.  
  
A realistic Seven said Kathryn had made Chakotay unhappy; the same Seven had been willing to defy Kathryn on his behalf.  
  
A realistic Kathryn, then, had no choice but to conclude she wasn't going to win this one.  
  
Well, to hell with him then.  
  
"Computer," she said finally, "Delete previous series of programs. Run standard holoprogram Risa 1. Incorporate whoever the latest human holoporn star is so that I can interact with him or her."  
  
"The human holoporn star currently receiving the highest user ratings is Dirk Masters," the computer noted blandly. "Is this acceptable?"  
  
She had no idea who this "Dirk Masters" was, but if he was human he would do. "That's fine."  
  
"Do you wish to incorporate Dirk Masters' most recent psychological profile?"  
  
Kathryn didn't even have to think about it. "No," she answered shortly. "Just program him to be horny as hell and attracted to me."  
  
She'd had enough verisimilitude for a while.  
  
END

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story features several rapid changes of scenery on a holodeck, along with instantaneous costume changes. Yes, I know that on Voyager one wore one's costume into the holodeck. However, the holodeck in this story is on Earth, and it incorporates the "costume-changing" technology that Picard used when he and Lily Sloane entered the holodeck nightclub in "First Contact."  
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This story was inspired by more netfics than I can easily recall. Thanks to Carol J. Grant and John Morales for betaing.


End file.
